The Audit

Okay, I mentioned in my post last week for Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop that I was giving just a small piece of the whole section. If you are interested, the following e is what precedes that post.

 

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DECLINED. Another watermark for yet another application. Lillian grimaced at the screen. Elder Smith was getting all the fun ones this week. She glanced at the schedule next to her and her eyes widened at the next entry:

12:35pm – Audit

Audit? What audit? And why were they being audited? She looked up at Elder Smith and tried to gage his mood. He was one of the best people she had worked with in her short career but he could also be the most unpleasant person to deal with if his back was up. She had no idea if audits were frequent or usual so she worried what his attitude towards one would be. He looked like he was in a good mood so she decided to broach the subject.

“Elder? I noticed on the schedule we’re being audited? I wasn’t aware the Licensing Bureau was subject to auditing. “

“Oh, it’s fairly routine. They don’t happen very often but when they do you just provide the files they ask for and answer a few straightforward questions. I’ve personally never been audited but a few of my colleagues have been”, He shuffled through some papers on his desk and pulled out a thin file. “I’m glad you mentioned it. I need you to pull some files for the auditors. Could you run down to Central Storage and find the ones indicated?”

She looked at the list he provided. There weren’t many on it, perhaps only 20. She felt some relief. Central Storage was a dark, claustrophobic building that reminded her of a medieval torture chamber. She often questioned the sanity of people who chose to work in that department.

Central Storage was located on the other side of the complex and given the hour she would have to hurry to get there and back in time. Lillian was a little peeved Elder Smith didn’t tell her about this earlier but then considered he might have just been informed of it as well. Regardless, she would have to practically run, a difficult feat in her heels.

Lillian arrived at the square stone building slightly out of breath. She made her way into the rabbit warren of hallways and interconnected rooms until she reached the log out station. Entering the file numbers into the system provided a printout of the locations of each file. As well, beacons lit up at the end of the rows where a file was kept to make it easier to find.

A shame they don’t have robots working down here to find the files for you. Lillian thought as she walked slowly down a long narrow row. Her heels echoed on the stone floors and she shivered as the cool, moist air sank into her bones. The location system worked as it should (or perhaps people were actually filing properly for once) and she found what she needed.

Before heading back she decided to take a look at the files the audit had flagged. The first one was from her first month working for the department. The next few were also from her earlier months. By the end of the pile she noted a disturbing pattern: each file was one she had been involved in and were applications that appeared on the surface as slam dunk candidates for the license but had ended up being declined.

Lillian leaned back mulling this over. Why just her files? Elder Smith had 5 or 6 assistants that helped him on his files yet every single one of these was hers. She looked closer at the names of the applicants to try and jog her memory about their specific cases. No connection came to mind until she reached the last file: the Adamson’s. And suddenly she knew what the connection was. In every single case she had spoken to the applicants briefly after the meeting. Most were a simple “I’m sorry” but a few involved longer conversations about the bureaucracy.

A sense of foreboding began to build and she felt nauseous. If the Bureau thought she had done something wrong in these cases…she’d heard rumors of staff disappearing suddenly that were usually dismissed as people who couldn’t deal with the stress involved so they had quit. Now she wondered if there was more to it.

Lillian realized she had to get back to Elder Smith’s office. She gathered up the files and left the building, briskly walking across the complex grounds. She dwelled on the possible outcome of this audit and didn’t notice anyone trying to get her attention until a hand grasped her on the shoulder. Startled, she dropped the files to the ground. As she kneeled to gather them up a figure stooped down beside her to help. In shock, she saw Mr. Adamson next to her and his wife hovering behind.

“I’m so sorry I startled you”, he said as he grabbed up the files. “I called out but you didn’t hear me.”

“It’s alright. I’m a little distracted,” Lillian swallowed a lump in her throat when he passed her the files, his own on top.

“Do you have time to talk?” Mrs. Adamson asked. She looked at Lillian, her eyes pleading with her to say yes. Lillian wondered what she could possibly do for them. The fear deep within began to grow. It seemed like an impossible coincidence that she would be involved in an audit involving those specific files, one of which belonging to the people standing before her.

“I…I don’t really. Not right this second. I need to get these file back to Elder Smith as soon as possible.” Lillian took a deep breath, knowing she had to say it but fearing the consequences. “Would you like to wait for me? I’m not sure how long I will be. It could be hours until I have a moment.”

They looked at each other and Lillian could see a silent communication going between them. Finally Mrs. Adamson turned to her and said,

“We’ll wait.”

Lillian nodded and pointed to a shaded bench near the center of the complex green space. She watched as Mr. and Mrs. Adamson walked over to the bench and sat down then continued into the building to Elder Smith’s offices.

She began to run as soon as she entered into the building and burst into his office before taking note of additional occupants. The presence of unfamiliar Bureau employees brought her to a sudden stop.

A tall, slender woman dressed all in black stood next to Elder Smith’s desk. Her hand rested gently on his arm and she was leaning slightly down. If she hadn’t known Elder Smith better she would have thought this was a romantic dalliance suddenly interrupted. However, the steely look in the woman’s eye and the two imposing figures positioned on either side of the desk quickly stifled that possibility.

Lillian glanced uneasily at the men on guard. She had never seen anyone dressed like these people. Like the woman the men were all in black. The main difference was an emerald green armband encircling their left biceps. On closer scrutiny Lillian noted an emerald green crest embroidered on the left side of the woman’s jacket as well.

“I’m sorry it took me so long, Elder. Here are the files you asked for.”

Lillian placed the pile on the desk and stepped back slowly, bowing her head deferentially. She stealthily looked up through her lashes to gage Elder Smith’s reaction to her behavior. His face briefly showed surprise but then she could see he understood why she was behaving as she was.

“Thank you, Laura. That will be all for today”, he said, a strange emphasis on the name. He paused and then spoke more confidently. “Enjoy your vacation and I will see you in two weeks.”

Lillian gaped at him for a moment, her mouth falling slightly open, before closing it with a click. She understood.  She looked him square in the eye and replied,

“Thank you, sir. I’ll see you when I return.”

As she turned to leave the room Lillian looked at the woman and the guards, trying to judge whether or not they understood what had just transpired. The guards stared impassively forward, no expression at all betrayed on their faces. The woman looked at Lillian for what felt like an eternity before turning her attention back to Elder Smith.

“Now that we have the files necessary, Elder Smith, perhaps we can begin?”

Lillian closed the door behind her with a loud click and felt her knees begin to quiver. She forced them still and strode down the hall as fast as she could without looking like she was trying to escape.